[Toilet & Bowels]

Today it occured to me that SY ticket prices are more or less double what they were when I first saw them play live in 1996 (I think tickets for that were about £13), although they play the same size venues, if that matters. I was wondering why this might be, are they saving up for retirement? Got their kid's college fees to pay? Buying huge houses in the country? Realised they can fleece their fans more than they thought they could 15 years ago? The cost of touring has increased two fold? The cost of living has increased 100% since 1996?
Last time I saw them (not at a festival) was on the DDN tour when tickets were about £25 if I recall correctly.

[tesla69]

they're not a group of kids sleeping on your floor anymore. They are mature adult artists with a large successful body of work.

Obviously, the market will bear the price because so far as I know, every SY show sells out. And if the CPI was 5% over 10 years that's what, about a 60% increase anyway...

How are the fans being fleeced? Are they playing lousy shows? Methinks not. Methinks you complain too much about nothing. Mefinds it fun to speak from me point of view

[EVOLghost]

When they played on the Eternal tour...tix cost me like $35(fer each day. they played 2 nights here) with bullshit fees added. I'm not complaining, nor did I htink the price was unfair or expensive. First time I seen SY(also saw The Flaming Lips right after SY) I paid like $65(lollapalooza for 1 day) for 2 tix! Which my friend has never directly paid me back for. but meh.

[EVOLghost]

Originally Posted by tesla69

they're not a group of kids sleeping on your floor anymore. They are mature adult artists with a large successful body of work.

I'm sure in '96 they were doing much better than sleeping on floors.

[Genteel Death]

I was wondering if they also charge similar prices in the US. Also, is it me or they don't tour Europe like they used to and instead do these one(or two) off things now? With so many other great bands I struggle to go to see play all the time, Sonic Youth kind of don't attract me live as much as they used to. They sure can keep the cost of tickets down to a more reasonable level if other more relevant bands touring from abroad can. It's not like they use giant inflatable penises onstage or come out to play carried by expensive robots that move via remote controls.

[scott v]

its called inflation, you need to take in account of other bands and other tours that span that time from the mid 90's to today... there are probably very few bands/tours of the same stature as SY that have kept the same price levels for the last 15 or so years...

i can think of only think of local hardcore/punk and a few underground shows that still maintain like a $5 cover over that last 15 plus years...

[SonicBebs]

everyone knows live gigs and tours are the only way for bands to make any money these days.
Kim's gotta eat. She loves tacos and tacos dont come cheap

[Toilet & Bowels]

i'm not complaining, just wondering why the big hike. but anyway, aside from the ddn tour i think sonic youth have fallen off a bit live in the last 4 or 5 years, so i doubt i'd see them even if ticket prices had halved.

[Toilet & Bowels]

plus, if tickets had risen at the rate of inflation a £13 ticket from 1996 would be about £18 now.

[EVOLghost]

Originally Posted by Toilet & Bowels

Last time I saw them (not at a festival) was on the DDN tour when tickets were about £25 if I recall correctly.

actually just converted that to us dollars...wow...that's almost 50 bucks....damn.

[Derek]

I think it might be because Sonic Youth have more of a "legacy" now than they did back then or some bullshit.

[Toilet & Bowels]

Originally Posted by Genteel Death

Also, is it me or they don't tour Europe like they used to and instead do these one(or two) off things now?

Yeah, they don't do proper tours, they just play between 1 and 3 cities (London, maybe Manchester, maybe Glasgow). My theory is they don't like coming to the UK so when they do come they want to be in and out ASAP, but they still needs to make as much ca$h as possible and the best way to do that is to play a limited number of shows with high ticket prices, relying on their most dedicated fans to travel from all over the UK to watch the (S)Ro(n)lli(c)ng (Y)Sto(u)nes(th).

[blunderbuss]

I think you'll find that ticket prices in the UK are the problem. When I've seen SY in France and Italy the ticket prices have been far more sensible.

Regarding their not liking coming to the UK, I have a feeling that I've read somewhere that they don't like it here. I have a feeling that promoters and venues don't have the "respect" for the artist in the UK that they do elsewhere.

[jon boy]

i think its the same everywhere nowadays. the bigger venues over here mark up all kinds of fee's seemingly at will. went to see die antoord the other week and tickets where advertised as $25 which is steep but it promised to be good but after tax, 'processing fee' and interestingly a 'handling fee' of $5 it came to over $40. just who is handling my ticket and why do they need $5 to do that?

[Genteel Death]

I don't think it's only a problem of ticket pricing in the UK. I regularly buy mine off we got tickets and they normally seem pretty reasonable compared to the rest of Europe, including the transaction fees that are unavoidable and apply to many businesses handling cards in the UK. Certain artists are all too aware that they command certain fees so they go for it, and Sonic Youth, with or without their now ambiguous and obsolete views on the mainstream, are no exception. Ok, they built up their reputation through playing fantastic music etc, yet it was a long time ago when they had much stronger ties with the underground and the way it operates in order to survive. These days they like to think that Kim Gordon criticising the (better) way in which a big band like Radiohead deals with their audience will make them ever so edgy, and that is plain hypocritical and false. Stick to raping the wallets of your more devoted fans and at least admit it that you are no different now than U2 or Lady Gaga ( who at least puts on a show, regardless of personal taste).

[Georgekrz]

I remember someone was complaining when they charged 40 bucks for the last McCarren pool show. I was like "are you fucking kidding me?!" Maybe they have to go to England and make all that dough to subsidize all the free shows Thurston Lee and Kim play in NYC (j/k). Seriously how many free shows have they played this year, must be more than a dozen, so how are they "raping" your wallet??

Sorry I dont mean this to come off as snarky or jerky, if you have no job and no money then $10 is a lot, I know, I've been there...

[tesla69]

Originally Posted by Genteel Death

Stick to raping the wallets of your more devoted fans and at least admit it that you are no different now than U2 or Lady Gaga ( who at least puts on a show, regardless of personal taste).

you are saying that when you pay money to see SY you get the same shit as U2 or Lady gaga?

I don't get it. Why should the band take a vow of poverty?

[SONIC GAIL]

I would pay $100 a ticket if they would come to FL.

@EVOL $35 is not bad considering round here it is at least $50 for a half decent seat in the large venues. Even at the clubs your looking at $20 or more to see bands not as well known.

[Genteel Death]

Originally Posted by tesla69

you are saying that when you pay money to see SY you get the same shit as U2 or Lady gaga?

I don't get it. Why should the band take a vow of poverty?

I'm not saying anything of the above. Are you?

[Trojan torch]

1996-2010 = 14 years
inflation rate = about 3% per year
For example: 20 dollars in 1996
20*1.03
= 20.60 in 1997
= 21.85 in 1998
= 22,51 in 1999
= 23.19 in 2000
= 23.88 in 2001
= 24.60 in 2002
= 25.34 in 2003
= 26.10 in 2004
= 26.88 in 2005
= 27,68 in 2006
= 28,52 in 2007
= 29.37 in 2008
= 30.25 in 2009
= 31.16 in 2010

40-31.16 = 8.84, they're fucking thieving magpies indeed!!!!